Opening of the Business of Humanity® Project’s Tuver Village Initiative in Gujarat, India

We are excited to announce the opening of the Business of Humanity® Project’s Tuver Village Initiative in Gujarat, India!  Part of our DC-HEaRT (Direct Current for Health, Energy and Regional Transformation) program, the Tuver Village Initiative is the Indian component of a global demonstration of the use of disruptive, frugal technologies to meet the needs of lower income communities; simultaneously enhancing economic, environmental and social sustainability. The viability of the Tuver Village Initiative is predicated on a comprehensive response to the needs of the community—power to households, potable water, sanitation, hygiene, health education, and telehealth, supported by new sources of income for the community, including agribusiness opportunities for local farmers.

Our key and indispensable partners on this project include the Narottam Lalbhai Rural Development Fund (NLRDF), which managed critically important government and community relations and provided a range of on-site support services; Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, South Asia’s leading, innovative telemedicine provider, which designed and installed a unique system of health and wellness capabilities; and Safeworld Rural Services LLP, the system design and technology consultant, on-site project manager, and problem-solver par excellence. The Tuver Initiative was generously funded by the Beall Family Foundation and the University of Pittsburgh.

On February 2, the NLRDF invited government and business officials to Tuver for an opening ceremony, walk-through and demonstration of the facility and equipment. On February 3, in Ahmedabad, Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation (ATNF) organized a symposium marking the opening of the Health and Wellness Centre in Tuver.

Please check out these photos of the Opening Ceremony in Tuver and the Symposium:

Please check out these additional photos from the Opening Ceremony!

Since the opening of the site, we have already seen the positive impact the project is having on the people in the village including the following:

1. The community center is open and the Apollo Telemedicine Center is operational and in full swing. Through April 2019, there have been hundreds of teleconsultations and dozens of patients who have used the Pharmacy. The patients have ranged in age from 2 months to 81 years old. 
    
2. The Common Services Center has helped villagers pay their electricity bills, obtain government ID’s, get assistance with Passport services, obtain Election (voting) cards, access printing and Xerox services, recharge mobile devices, set-up mobile bill payments, insurance services and receive assistance in signing up for a pension fund for laborers. 
    
3. Health Profiling: Under Health Profiling, basic health assessment of communities is performed door-to-door.  After obtaining consent, details are digitally captured.  Health Profiling includes the following measurements – a) Health & Weight; b) Body Mass Index; c) Blood Pressure; d) Random Blood Sugar; e) Oxygen Saturation and f) Hemoglobin. Health Profiling also captures past medical history, present health issues, past and present medication status and referrals of beneficiaries with health issues to Tuver Health & Wellness Center (THWC). Total number of beneficiaries of Health Profiling to date has been in the hundreds. 
    
4. The power plants are working and lighting arrestors have been installed in all the power plant sites.
    
5. The electricity supplied to the households is working and the villagers are enjoying access to power 24 hours a day. 
    
6. The street lights and toilet facilities are operational and being used on a regular basis.

Please remember to check our website in the coming months as we continue to share more updates in the future while activity at the site continues to grow!